What is? & How does?

8th - Noetic Science?

2010-02-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Fortunately (or unfortunately), prior to drop-kicking Dan Brown's latest novel out my bedroom window due to the realization I wasted 15.95...I was enlightened! Enlightened to...A NEW DIVISION OF SCIENCE!!!!!

Or is it...a new realm of science? One of the points I wanted to make while discussing Noetic Science is that all science should be considered a continuum that realistically cannot, and does not exist in specifically defined subgroups - FACT - The well known subjects such as chemistry, biology, and physics are all intertwined. So one of my initial thoughts was....where have we seen Noetic Science within these subjects....? Just a thought. And I guess, that in order to ponder this question, we have to understand what noetic science is.

So what is Noetic Science? The following paragraph is from the Institute of Noetic Science (IONS):

"Noetic sciences are explorations into the nature and potentials of consciousness using multiple ways of knowing—including intuition, feeling, reason, and the senses. Noetic sciences explore the "inner cosmos" of the mind (consciousness, soul, spirit) and how it relates to the "outer cosmos" of the physical world."(1)

The following are the three principle areas of Noetic Science.(2)

Extended Human Capacities

Creativity
Meditation
Psi Studies
Wisdom Capacities
Subtle Energies
States of Consciousness
Death, Dying, and Beyond

Integral Health and Healing

Biofields
Distant Healing
Global Medicine
Integral Medicine
Mind Body Medicine
Extended Survival
Placebo Expectancy Effects

Emerging Worldviews

Integral Intelligence
Science of Wisdom
Gaia Theory
Transformative Practices
Cultivating Spiritual Awareness
East/West/Indigenous Practices

Well I have to be honest. After reading those definitions, I was even less clear on my understanding of what noetic science is.

Physics: the science of matter and energy and their interactions;

Quantum physics: A branch of physics describing the known behavior of energy and matter that predominate at the atomic scale.

Chemistry: the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions

Organic Chemistry: A branch of chemistry concerned solely with carbon and its compounds.

Biology: the science that studies living organisms

Microbiology: the branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects on humans

Of the three conventional branches of science, i was able to track down definitions for all of them, AND definitions for subdivisions within them, of which, I understand completely. Now, one could argue that this contrast of imperfect clarity between conventional science and noetic science is simply the fault of the one who wrote the definition for noetic science. While this could be true, I pose a counter-argument that maybe noetic science doesn't know what it is yet!

Clearly the scientists who are conducting research in the field of Noetic science are trying to break some barriers. While there are some relatively normalized theories being pursued, there are some 'home-run' terms listed above that are likely fuel for the flames of criticism. This criticism could potentially be due to the fact that their mission is so unclearly stated, that the inherent characteristics of science, which we all (scientists) live and breath by, is those black and white parameters that we attempt to define our surroundings in. Noetic science seems to ignore this goal, and pursue a much more vague understanding of topics, leaving their conclusions equally as vague, and their data equally as discredited.

Of course I would be irresponsible in my own regard, and seemingly bias if I had left my understanding of noetic science to a couple of 'definitions' that I found on IONS website. The only way to obtain my own understanding of what noetic science is, would have been to read some of their articles. Unfortunately, as most of you know who have researched noetic science, this is not possible without joining the IONS. A lot of bloggers criticize noetic science for this practice. "Science should be free!" they say, "and if they are making us pay for it, its not really science and it is more like a cult!"

My friend Greg brought up a good point in regard to this criticism. Most science is not free. For example, from my experience I know that the public is not allowed to access medical journals for free. They are extremely expensive, and rarely will you find access to all journals in circulation other than universities, hospitals, are large medical practices. Not free, and certainly not cheap are medical journals or biology and immunology journals (according to my friend Derek who is a PhD candidate in Immunology at the University of Albany). So what makes us think that we deserve to see noetic science publications for free. Well, I guess we shouldn't, and I guess they have logical grounds for requiring membership to their institution in order to see the results of their studies.

The only thing that bugs me, is that they seem to be reaching some rather 'ground-breaking' 'conclusions.' When such conclusions - or advancements as we will call them - are made, they make "news." Public awareness is not something that researchers typically shy away from! Public awareness = GRANTS! Putting your scientific advancements out on the digital airwaves for all to see would theoretically result in an exponential increase in grant money, and thus, the opportunity to further advance their research.

http://www.physorg.com/space-news/

On this website you can find advancements in physics, chemistry, biology, and medical research, and have access to the journal articles which support them....for free.

"Opportunity favors those who work hard." Well, the scientists of noetic science seem to be working hard on advancements, but don't seem to be seeking opportunity associated with them. This is counterintuitive to me, and it only makes me question what they may be afraid of publicly admitting they are researching, or what 'advancements' they think they have made.

Of course, there could be a completely logical explanation for why they are seemingly afraid to go public. They could be refining their research, which by all means, is a critical process when experimenting in brand new territory. The criticism will naturally be at a confrontational high (THE EARTH IS FLAT DAMNIT!!!), and the scientists behind this research are going to try and make their conclusions bullet proof to the devils advocate. However, the clock is ticking on this process. Too much time spent in this phase, and you start to really wonder; what are they doing behind closed doors? What are they filling the minds of their members with? Why don't they let other researchers know their experimental methods, and allow the scientific community to try and recreate their results? And if we reach the time where these questions can really start being asked, its because noetic science could potentially be labled as a psuedoscience. And with all psuedoscientists, they are afraid to let other in on their 'secrets' because they know deep down that their theories will be ripped to shreads by objective and non-bias researchers. And the ego of a psuedoscientist is to big to gamble with such a risk.

In conclusions, being a man of science myself, I too find it difficult to believe without proof or method. Yet this does not mean that I will not continue to do my own investigation. Just because there is not proof yet does not mean that there won't be. Let us not forget that all scientific fact was once based on an unsubstantiated notion that was later proven, and usually after many years later. Let us look at light. Light behaves as a wave and particle which for a long time was a mystery. So we developed the wave-particle theory. Abiogenisis (life arising from inorganic matter), was considered an everyday fact until disproven. Dark matter and dark energy is a hypothetical form of matter that supposedly predominates at the atomic scale. No one has ever concretely proven its existence, just like no one has concretely proven that the soul has mass (a claim supported by noetic science). Ultimately, there are countless unproven theories that exist throughout the continuum of science today. This being said, I believe that the best course of action would be to remain openminded and continue to look for evidence to either prove or disprove as one sees fit.

References:

What are Noetic Sciences? Institute of Noetic Sciences. http://www.noetic.org/about/what_is.cfm. Accessed February 12, 2010.
What is Noetic Science? Noetic Sciences - World of Noetic Science. http://www.noeticsciences.co.uk/about/. Accessed February 13, 2010.

If anyone has sources in which one can access Noetic Science journal articles for FREE, please comment on this post and let me know where! Thank you for reading : )

17th - The Key of the Future

2009-08-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

So the other day I Googled 'cool x-rays' and came across a plethora of rad stuff....This top image being the first. Apparently, those little white cylinders in between the thumb and index finger are the new 'keys' of the future, aka; "Radio Frequency Identifiers" (RFIDs). Be sure to throw some Dr. Evil air quotes around that name when you're telling people about these at the water cooler. At 2mm x 12mm, these cylinders are implanted by a doctor - a cosmetic surgeon for example - and can then be synchronized/programed with external technology to act as keys. Examples of external technology would include, car doors, laptops, and the security box you keep all of your porn within.
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Also, on the topic of x-ray, the new Backscatter x-ray machine has been hitting the bigger international airports and has been making headlines for the more obvious reasons; shown below...

Now, clearly the picture of this woman's body is violating the eyes of the poor security guards that have to look at it. In reality, I'm sure the guards would prefer to don some 4mm thick latex gloves, pat her down to find the 9mm Beretta in her g-string and the poorly concealed explosives just northeast of her FUPA, and then pass her off to the rookie for a horrifying strip search. Whatever gets the job done without burning the retinas people, is a job done right.
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Of course, the Backscatter x-ray is still a job done right, if used on the correct people...

Of course we don't want to give Halle Berry cancer. That would make everyone sad : (

That's why the Backscatter x-ray machine is so rad! Instead of x-ray photons being blasted through Halle Berry, requiring a crap load of radiation, Backscatter x-ray machines use a backscatter principle that does not actually penetrate her sexilicious tissue. Instead, the x-ray photons reflect off the elements that make up her skin or guns or explosives, and they do so in specific ways. Thus allowing the computer that is picking up these reflected photon patterns to digitally create an image of Halle, and whatever she may be concealing....even boobies. Fortunately, because x-ray penetration (gigidy) is not necessary for this image, only 0.005 millirems of radiation are used to obtain each picture. A total of 1 millirem in a year is completely negligible, and 25 milirems is considered a toxic dose.

So if you're ever wandering through an international airport security checkpoint, and they select you for extra screening, you can choose between this Backscatter x-ray machine, or a full body pat-down. Now guys, don't worry if the airport is especially cold that day because the computer automatically blurs 'private areas.' I don't know how this works, but just know you won't be arrested for inadequate manhood. And unfortunately we really can't use it to see Halle Berry's boobies...

27th - Avocado Massacre

2009-07-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

People who know me have often said how they have noticed that I hardly do anything half-assed. This past Sunday was no exception to these observations. Sunday was the first time I cut myself with a kitchen knife. An event which, inevitably, everyone seems to experience at some point in their lives. "Oh, this one time, I was dicing up some onion to put in my meatloaf, and I accidentally cut my thumb with the parring knife! There was 'so much blood'...I was sooo whoozy...yea, and now, I got this scar!" - yep, you've heard it, that ol' can of beans. Then, predictably, everyone will show you the little scar on the tip of their thumb to conjure up your shocking gasp/seal of approval for their honorary battle wound.
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As for my story, it begins at some point in my life, when a person taught me that if you stab the pit of an avocado, you can then remove said pit with ease. Perfect for not disturbing the green buttery inside in the least. Perfect for those with slight OCD. So, with 1/2 avocado in one hand, and knife in the other, one would gently stab the tip of a knife into the pit of the avocado, twist, and remove the pit. Well, if you notice at the bottom of this post you will see a knife piercing an Avocado, juuuust missing the pit....blood from the tip of the knife, all the way back to the skin of the delicious green fruit. Now, imagine, and juxtapose my index finger next to the avocado. Imagine me, orchestrating the knife in this pit removal procedure. Imagine my sudden realization that the tip of my knife had slipped off the pit, and pierced through fruit of the avocado with ease, finding my finger, and relentlessly impaling it like a knife should impale anything it encounters. Imagine me feeling everything in slow motion. Imagine the sharp stab of the knife, the dull thud of steel on bone, and then an instantaneous numbness up the length of my finger...Imagine blood splattering from my hands - down at hip level - all the way up to my face.
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Once this event was all over, I dropped the knife-avocado apparatus in the sink (seen below) and held my finger tight above my head. I was spurting blood from my finger, pulsating, in sink with my heart,(a severed artery) not able to feel a damn thing distal to the wound, (a severed nerve) and all the while wondering why - when I was applying pressure to the only wound I saw, there was still blood coming out of my hand somewhere. That's when I noticed that there was an exit wound. The knife entered the front of my finger, hit the bone, glanced off, and exited the other side, leaving a gaping wound as equally as big as it did on entering...hence, the blood smearing the length of the knife below - a true stab wound.
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To make a short story long, I now have 8 stitches in my finger, and can't feel anything from the base to the tip of my index finger. I'm not all that bummed, because to me, it's actually kind of cool, fascinating, bad-ass, and awesomely gruesome. The last of which being the reason why I enjoyed writing about it and felt compelled to post this little story. My only wish was that I had the foresight to get a picture of my finger when it was still open.

19th - Lady Slipper

2009-06-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's called the Lady Slipper, a flower which blatanly defines the feminimity of flowers everywhere. Em's dad showed it to me on his property in the Adirondacks. Apparently it is pretty rare to see as it is currently an endangered species and only blooms for approximately 4 days out of the year. So, if you see one of these awesome flowers, don't pick it, just let it be and allow others to someday enjoy it.

Time for a cold shower?

3rd - Gravity Brawl

2009-06-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it was the first 'big-time' competition that I entered in a looooooong time. After this past year of school, piling organic chemistry on top of the normally heinous PT course load, the amount of climbing I've been up to has pretty much amounted to nil. So, it felt pretty damn good to make finals and to ultimately finish 9th.

P.s.

A word to your mother...Competition climbing should be known to everyone as an entirely separate niche within the ever growing sport known as "rockclimbing." Just to keep everyone sane, and not feel totally devastated after a poor placement in a competition. We all know that sport climbing is different than bouldering, deep water soloing different than trad climbing, and thus, a bouldering competition is equally as different than outdoor bouldering. Yes, this seems counter intuitive, but besides the fact that outdoor climbing is different than indoor climbing, consider this...Outdoor bouldering is a game which relies mainly on strength and power, while comp climbing seems to rely more on skill and technique. I climb V8 right now consistently, and I placed in the top ten, packed full of climbers who flash V10 on a regular basis. How is this possible? I have a lot of comp experience.

Ultimately, my point goes out to all who have placed in a comp and thought, "fuck that! I know I am way stronger than 21st!" My point is that you most definitely are stronger than that. But you need to look at comp climbing as a different sport...a new challenge. Most of you already have the power. Now you just need the experience which fortunately does not take time, commitment or hard work, just some gas money and comp entry fees and guaranteed good times that come along with all comps.

The Gravity Brawl was great. Big up to Jason, Pete and the entire NE2C team. Thanks for the great time.

For full results and links to other write-ups check out www.boulderingcomps.com

21st - Damnit

2009-04-21T17:31:00.001-07:00

22nd - Flexor Pullies

2009-04-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

The most common finger injury in climbers is overuse, strain or rupture of the A2 and A3 pulleys. All of which cause pain and discomfort just distal to the finger joint closest to the hand.

To orient you to this picture, joint that the A1 pully is covering is the palmar side of your knuckle.

Below are line drawings of the hand crimping. The first image depicts a hand which is crimping like Dave Grahmn; thumb over the index finger with fingers maximally flexed. This is called the close handed position:

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This image is a depiction of how someone like Chris Sharma typically grabs holds. This is called the open handed position:

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Notice the difference between the resultant forces (red arrows) between the open handed and close handed positions. The pulleys are resisting that resultant force when you are crimping, so you tell me. Would you rather have a bigger or smaller red arrow depicting the amount of force that is being applied to your pulley?

20th - Taking a Dorky Turn

2009-04-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

I realized that since I am studying more than I am climbing, I'm going to have to post things that relate to what I am studying or post nothing at all. So here it is, a interesting application of the material I am studying for everyday life. I hope all 4 people who check my blog find it interesting.

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Does everyone know what organic chemistry is? Probably not...I didn't before I took the class.
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In short is it the study of carbon containing molecules that make up almost everything around us. It's your body on a molecular level, it's your food on a molecular level, and it's the air you breathe on a molecular level. I'm sure most people have heard of Methane gas...the structural formula is posted below (just an example of an organic compound).

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So what get's you drunk? Alcohol right? Gets you blasted, tanked, tipsy, trashed, and fucked in half as some may say. That comes from ethanol (listed below), but your body creates an enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) which breaksdown (metabolizes) ethanol into acetaldehyde (also listed below). Acetaldehyde is a very unstable compound and quickly forms free radicals causing damage throughout the body. Long term this means liver damage, short term....this means vomitting and hangover.

So what I learned that I thought was interesting is that while alcohol (ethanol) is what gets you drunk, it's actually acetaldehyde that makes you sick and gives you a hangover...happy drinking

20th - Studying

2009-04-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Got out to Sleeping Giant over the weekend. I guess if the boulders were at roadside, it would be worth it, but the necessary hike to reach the spread out boulders has alerted me to the obvious truth that we need to get access to Bradley. As I was hiking up the giant on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I was completely distracted from the beauty and serenity of the outdoors by the passing Hamden-high students out to smoke some pot, or the boy scouts getting herded to the top for a camping trip, or the QU bimbo walking her toy dog up the mountain making me wondering how the little heart inside that pup hadn't exploded yet. Not to mention the endless questioning regarding 'that mattress' I was carrying. I'm all for educating people about rockclimbing and bouldering, but I sure don't feel like educating hundreds of suburban hikers on the one day I have off.
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Bottom line, Sleeping Giant is awful and I would never tell someone to go there unless I was trying to inspire them to help gain access to Bradley.
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Back to Studying...

12th - Owl's Layer

2009-04-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today it was Burg, Neal, and I who headed out on a brief, yet productive, session at the Owl's Layer. Burg showed us copious boulder problems, of which where down the hill from the base of the Owl's Layer Cliff. One of which was a long standing project that I had always heard as being the best V11 in Connecticut. Today I got a chance to send this problem and 3 others which were all equally amazing. Here are some pics of from the day...

This problem is 1,2,3 Bombs Away - V8

The Phat Knuckle - V7

This the Owl's Layer Project - V11

This is a video of me sending the Owl's Layer Project, shot and edited by Burg. Phillip Schaal almost had a video of himself doing this problem on his blog, but since he didn't style it like I did, he deleted the footage on purpose to avoid certain humiliation. Enjoy!

29th - More Random Pictures

2009-03-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ultraperm; 5.13d Reg River Gorge

Ultra Perm

Rocktown GA

Southern Pine Cone

2 Southern Pine Cones

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White Sands New Mexico; Jumping my buddies

Me jumpin around again.

My buddy Garret on Something From Nothing; Great Barrington

Doing some wood work at Chateaugay NY

Em's cat again

Farm in Chateaugay NY

Windmills in upstate NY

Graffitti boulder at Bradley

Colorado shack

Em at Red River Gorge

Em on a frozen Chateaugay lake

21st - Jessie's Tattoo

2009-03-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today we took Emily's younger sister for her 18th birthday to get her first tattoo. We took her to Arrows and Honor in East Hartford. This is how it came out!
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The stencil!

Look at Emily all happy.

Finished product.

Jess and Allana

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17th - Pawtuckaway

2009-03-17T12:08:00.001-07:00

First off, thank you to Greg's truck, who is now affectionately named Lil' Biscuit. Without Lil' Biscuit, we would have been forced to walk down the 2 mile long unplowed road to Round Pond and Boulder Natural, and this whole trip would have been a bust.
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Dave Grahm's; The Ill Saint - V12/13

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.I came across this problem when I was 14. I looked at it...laughed...and truly understood the prowess of Dave Grahamn. I didn't see any holds...none. I'd seen plenty of boulder problems of the now established difficulty of the Ill Saint by the time I was 14. I knew what v13 holds were supposed to look like. These holds were just really fucking small. Ahead of it's time, the Ill Saint comes in not quite a classic, but still a wicked fun problem to climb on.
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If you like climbing up boulders that are seemingly blank, uninterrupted by climbable features, giving the problem a true granite aesthetic look, please check this problem out next time you are in Pawtuckaway; you'll love it.

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Because the description is a brief and vague in the New England Bouldering Guide....
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Start matched on the dish my left hand is on with a good foot hold way out right.

Go up to decent hold with right hand...

Bump to a heinously small crimper and get ready for the crux...Left foot (which was previously hangin' out) goes on a small edge which is facing you just under the lip of the small roof.

Then bring your right foot up near your right hand.

From here, body tension goes off the charts, and you bring your left hand up to a small crimper which is just up and left from your right hand.....

This was the end of my best effort from the start. From these two crimps, one would go up to the lip with their left and do a rather tricky V7ish topout. Moving to the top is very hard!

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Greg was also pulling hard that day nearly sending a problem adjacent to The Ill Saint;
Dopeman - V8.
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Thus, giving us both good reason to return to Round Pond ASAP

Heel on the starting hold of Dopeman - V8
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We put in the hours this day. Sunrise to sunset.

12th - Squantz Pond

2009-03-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Went off to Squantz Pond for the first time in a while today. I guess the novelty of the area had worn off because I was super dissapointed with the quality of the rock. I must have built it up in my mind since the last time I was there to be this smooth, fine textured, immaculate granite...only to find boulders today that looked like they were rolled down a mound of gravel picking up sharp little rocks to forever stick on their surfaces.

We did manage to hike a good 30 minutes to find a pretty sick boulder pictured below.

Also, the holy-project boulder, which today I deemed impossible for myself...a mere mortal.

Climbing here today gave me all the more motivation to focus on keeping Bradley open. I'm not sure I realized how good we got it there.........

12th - Bradley is Closed

2009-03-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

BRADLEY IS CLOSED

Just to reiterate; 3/7/09 was not just another "bad day" for Bradley. It was the day of closure. As of right now, no one should be climbing at Bradley. The New Britain Water Commission has finally decided to crack down and enforce their "authority" over their land. As of right now, our best efforts are being directed towards registering C3 (Connecticut Climbers Coalition) as a non-profit organization. As an NPO, we will be able to better navigate the political shit storm that is our local government.

Please lend any support that you can by visiting http://cafepress.com/ctclimbers. Here you may purchase merchandise which was designed by Dan Yagmin. These clothes are all made to order, which is why they are slightly expensive, but that allows for a larger profit margin, of which, 100% goes towards permanently opening Bradley. This situation is much more sensitive than access to Great Barrington ever was; a comparison that may sharpen everyone's perspective on how difficult it will be to achieve our goal. To everyone who has climbed at Bradley, your support in the past is greatly appreciated and will be a necessity throughout this future endeavor.

BRADLEY IS CLOSED

11th - More Rad Shots

2009-03-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Newspaper in Chateaugay, NY

Graveyard on Whitney ave.

Emily's barn door.

Photogenic hay-bails? Or just a cool shot...?

Moments before the photogenic hay-bails

It's a heart..upsidedown

Wicked cool dragonfly.

8th - Spring Break

2009-03-08T14:01:00.001-07:00

Cancun it ain't...

New Haven Beach.

This is Flipper...

I had to kick a little girl in the shins pretty hard to keep her from sniping the first ascent of my project while I was taking a nap regaining my strength. The mother seemed pretty angry that I had to do that; but it was necessary...

Flipper - v10 F.A.

No little girls were kicked during the fabrication of this story...

7th - Bradley

2009-03-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Today was a tough day for Bradley. It was the first full day that this sign hung ominously at the entrance to our beloved boulders. Thinking this was merely harmless fumes from an already existing fire between climbers and the water dept., we thought little of it. Later that day however, a foreman spotted us atop the Suspense boulders. Threatening to tow all of our cars at Roger's, the day quickly transformed from a beautifully serene day of climbing, to completely unforeseen chaos. One of which will most likely set the members of C3 into action to finally resolve this useless feud and open access to Bradley for good.
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Aside from the abysmal ending to this day, it actually started off quite well. Em dispatched an ongoing nemesis just down the trail from the Graffitti wall.
Bitchin'.

Nikki, also showing the line who's beast.

7th - Rad Shots

2009-03-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Derek in thailand

Chateaugay Lake - NY

Chateaugay Lake - NY

Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Nicaragua

Thailand

Em gettin ready for some lake bouldering

Light the Night - Walk for leukemia in Boston. Everyone had
RED BALLOONS

with flashing lights inside of them...this picture came out

like an oil painting.

Foundation cutting loose in Thailand

Tree in Red Rocks Nevada

Old Jersey Shore Bike

Jersey Shore Surfer

Yucca at Red Rocks

Em's Cat

A portrait of Jack

Italian Latte

Italian Church

7th - This blog...

2009-03-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

This blog is about posting pictures for everyone to see.

This is my fam.

This is Em

This is me.